Mark-87-951

ok - so the way to do this would be to start the car and pull each wire at the plug side and see if the noise goes away with any cylinder not getting spark?

hacker-pschorr

Assuming Danno and I are correct, I would also double and triple check timing.
Does it make the noise at idle?

Mark-87-951

Yes it does make the noise at idle. Checking timing will probably be difficult. I am assuming I need a timing light

Danno

Actually, I must've been drunk, I was meaning to say "injector wires". They get easily damaged when removed. This leads to a shorted connector and the injector doesn't get full power to fire and it goes lean in that cylinder.

hacker-pschorr

Danno - glad you said that, I was wondering on the spark plug wire idea, but the overall theory made sense.

Mark-87-951

Ah I was beginning to wonder about that also!

Campeck

BE CAREFULL!
pulling spark plug wires....anyone remember that thread?
lol.....and dont put your hand on the car....not a good idea. ppl make pretty good grounds.

Mark-87-951

Ok, a visual inspection of the wires reveals nothing obvious. Is there a test I can do when I have some daylight or have it in a garage? Fortunately work is only 25min or so walk until I can get this solved.

Mark-87-951

I disconnected ea. injector except for the #1 cylinder and no change in the sound. Im going to pull the cap and rotor when I get a chance. It sounds worse there. Maybe one of the bolts that holds the cam sprocket cover on backed out and the washer is clinking around?

FRporscheman

Unlikely - it wouldn't sound like popcorn. Also, about the valve tappets or whatever they're called, if you forgot to soak them in oil the sound should go away after 10 minutes of idling. I forgot to do this when I did my headgasket, and I had some severe ticking noises for about 5 minutes, then it died away and now it's normal. Whatever your problem is, I don't think it will be damaging to drive it around the block (unless there is actually something loose in there, like the washer of that one bolt you said you dropped). By driving it a little you might get some more information based on the characteristics of the ride, and that may help. I had a popcorn sound before, but it only happened when hot and it was my fuel pressure regulator (running rich). HTH

Dal Heger

Popcorn, eh?

The only time my engine sounded like it was popping corn was when the rod bearing failed.

Good luck!

Dal.

Mark-87-951

I drove it the night I worked on it and it seemed to run fine, just had that sound. Listening to it tonight it seemed faintly metallic almost a clinking type sound.

Mark-87-951

ok, I have pulled the fuel injector connections one at a time and no change in sound. Im going to get a timing light and see how the timing is before I pull everything off again.